Family Secrets - 119

Bud (B) and Harriet (Ht) learn that Dr Lawrence Gettis had missed a myoma in Ht, and that he was test driving his new Porsche during her labor when a prolapsed cord occurred. Chegwidden (C) talked B out of suing the government; but he instead filed dereliction of duty charges against Gettis. Brumby's (Brum) new law firm was handling Gettis' defense and when Sr partner Larry Kaliski tried to order him to take the case Brum quit the firm. Mac (M) prosecuted and C ordered B to "stay out of it." Instead B tried to interject too much becoming emotional. Even M had to dress him down for it. Despite the evidence against Gettis, Kaliski switched Ht's ultrasound with a nearly identical ultrasound of another woman thus tricking a nervous doctor witness into identifying "the myoma" on the wrong ultrasound. Ht was called to the stand and, although Kaliski tried to trap her into lying, she admitted that she had had a previous abortion as a teen and a former doctor had diagnosed myoma; but, she hadn't revealed any of that to Gettis. Gettis was acquitted and apologized to B & Ht.

Webb (W) informed Harm (H) that Sergei's helicopter was shot down in Chechnya (again). H immediately wanted C to send him to Russia but his request was denied. When it didn't look good W prompted a story about Sergei in a national news magazine. Having not ever told his mother about Sergei H needed to flee to San Diego to tell her before she read it in the magazine. She was upset that he hadn't told her! H decided to resign his commission in order to go to Russia and put his letter in Cs in-box. W eventually found that Sergei had been captured alive and was in a Chechen prison camp, so C tore up Hs resignation saying it "needed to be in triplicate anyway."

M caught Brum putting on his Australian Navy uniform and he told her that he had decided to accept a very good position back in Australia. When she said that "they had something" he countered that she was still, at this late date, "thinking" about the engagement after 10 months! So, pressured, M changed the ring from her right to left ring finger as the credits closed.

A Separate Peace (Part II) - 117

Admiral Nash relieved Boone of his command and his men all saluted (indoors and uncovered) as sign of respect. The SECNAV pontificated angrily about public relations and threatened Mac (M), Bud (B) and Harm(H). He said that he didn't trust Hs judgment and demanded assurance that he would consider the good of the service as prime. H stood his ground and refused such that Chegwidden (C) had to point out that Hs job was to Boone. None-the-less the SECNAV flounced threateningly that if H "made the navy look bad he would cut him off at the knees." Stuart Dunston began dogging them and Singer (S), sitting 2nd chair, said that she knew him and would see what she could do. H told her "don't trust him" and S replied that she wouldn’t tell him anything that was true. H chastised M for her dislike of Boone as she refused any bargaining. Boone refused to tell H the full story in his defense. H challenged for cause every potential witness who had ever disliked Boone. M then began asking "if they thought they could be fair" and the judge overruled Hs objections. Gunny (G) struck out finding anyone who was at Tan Dien but said that there was a marine deserter, Cpl Owen Branson, who was there but couldn't be found. M gave an excellent opening statement and Boone said he "underestimated her. She would slit your throat on a dark night and not twice about it." H replied that "she would think about it before she did it!" H reserved his opening statement for later and M called Gen Parker who told of the decapitated head photograph. H him into support of Boone and he shook hands with Boone as he exited the courtroom. Coffin claimed that Boone used a child as a shield and shot Tam as she was going to hide. Dunston glibly thrust an interview at H and asked if he'd ever seen Boone smile. H told him "you're an idiot" on live TV. S offered to talk to Dunston off the record but he had to share. When H cross examined Coffin he brought up the alcohol treatment and delusions that S had discovered from Dunston. M began objecting to everything H was asking so he let S take over. She brought up that Coffin had been paid $50 thousand for his story.

Hs opening statement was eloquent asking the panel not to "make Boone the last casualty of the Vietnam war." Webb (W) testified that his father, Neville, had been head of Phoenix program and that Harry Drax hadn't followed orders and told his men to shoot on site. Congresswoman Latham came to tell H to go to the Dew Drop Inn, which is where the deserter Owen Branson, now know as Jed Howe, was. Branson told H he didn't know anything but H saw a tattoo on his arm that he recognized so called W for further information. H told Boone that he needed to take the stand because M had made her case and his "silence would convict him." Boone said "I can live with that," so H argued him into testifying. During his testimony W brought Branson into the room having threatened him with removing his retirement. Boone said that he had taken the girl, who had been standing in the middle of fire, to safety and saw Tam going for a weapon so shot her. He then saw the PRU killing non-combatants so ordered them to stop. Drax came up and shot them all anyway then threatened to kill Boone before he walked away. Boone called to him then had to shoot him in the back before he started killing again. H called "Harry Drax" to the stand and M, finally, had no objection. Drax told Boone "if you are going to kill someone do it right." He said that his only regret was "we didn't kill them all" and that Boone had no part in it. Neville W changed his name and "retired him" to avoid publicity. The real Branson was killed in Vietnam. Boone was acquitted but forcibly retired by the SECNAV.

S was able to help C get custody of his SUV back after seven weeks and three days since it had been confiscated. Tiner (Ti) retrieved it but it had been shot with "six holes of varying caliber." Narcotic officers had "borrowed" it for a "sting" which failed. S said "we can sue." B was still studying books relentlessly about his baby's death. He ignored Harriet's (Ht) statement that he couldn't bring the baby back. Ht came to Hs apartment the faked that "she shouldn't be there" and talked about AJs birth and baby Sara's death. Apparently she didn't like that the doctors had taken the baby into another room to try and save her so had "died without me there." She also didn't like that B wasn't making time for her to talk. H saw B berating himself over failing to warn M of Coffin's hospitalization etc. H told him that he "didn't know what it was like to loose a child but did the woman you love." He advised "don't let one cost you the other."

A Separate Peace (Part I) - 116

[Two part episode] While waiting for the SECNAV, Admiral Thomas Boone told Harm (H) how he had aced Rabb Sr (R) out of making the 100,000th trap on the Ticonderoga because R had to go around for a visual inspection of his tail hook thinking it not properly extended. Boone was up for taking command of the 6th fleet but the SECNAV said that there was an anonymous tip that Boon took part in killing civilians in Tan Dien village, Vietnam. The SECNAV asked Mac (M) to investigate without any paperwork and report directly to him before the confirmation hearings. She thought that Boone wasn't being "forthcoming" even though H, who had requested to assist M, tried to explain. Boone had been assigned TAD to do reconnaissance in Saigon (he had lost a coin toss with R). The village was "pacified" of VC by elements of South Vietnamese Provincial Reconnaissance Unit (PRU). Boone and Lt RC Coffin landed outside Tan Dien village to stay the night. Boone had been shown a photo of a girl holding up the severed head of Boone's downed-pilot friend for the recon plane to see 5 miles outside Tan Dien. H went to Webb (W) to ask for records because Ws father was CIA director in Saigon and in charge of the Phoenix program. W wouldn't release the records so H went to congresswoman Latham. She did him a favor and went to W to discuss "funding" right before H stepped into the room. He asked H "have you no shame" but gave him information from the file. Coffin flew for the CIA at night but wasn't part of the pacification effort. Harry Drax was the project director and mercilessly killed bound prisoners in interrogation. Drax had ordered the sweep of the village and went in shooting. He was shot in the back and buried in a mass grave to Ellis Burke file the after action report. H spoke with Burke who said Drax had ordered the "death squads" after the decapitation as "payback." He said Boone had been there and reports had claimed that he entered in the fighting. There had been a quota of 2000 suspected VC kills per month.

The SECNAV was continually pushing for resolution and reading M the riot act until C intervened. H talked to Boone now that there was more information. He remembered Coffin now as a liar and drunk. M traced down Coffin who claimed he was dying of Tuberculosis and wanted to "set things right." He landed at Tan Dien to see his "girlfriend" Tam. Boone recognized her as the girl in the photo. Drax came that night and warned them that TAM was VC. He told them to get out or be in the fighting. Coffin said he went to try and find Tam then saw Boone 10 minutes later using a little kid as a human shield and shooting TAM. Boone told H that he shot TAM while she was reaching into the hut roof for a gun.

Bud was back at work after the death of his baby. M ordered him to go home to sleep but instead he began working on legal aspects of the baby's death. He told Harriet "we'll find out what went wrong." C tried to get his SUV back from the impound lot but the "lot guy" told him that it "has been charged and it was up to him to prove that the Ford Expedition was innocent." Singer (D)researched his case on her own and said they had to show that Danny used the car for drug transportation without Cs knowledge, consent or willful blindness. C told her to go ahead. She argued the case in court and won Cs car back but the police "lost" it! He told her to "find my car."

The Princess and the Petty Officer - 118

[A significant episode due to the breakup of Chegwidden and Walden. Cameo appearance of Rudy Bosch, runner up in "survivor."] Princess Fatima al Amatullah (Fanny) and PO James Elling were married after he smuggled her into the US with forged documents. Her father and "first husband," from a prearranged marriage, wanted her back. Harm (H) defended Elling against Bud (B), who was prosecuting in behalf of a hard-nose admiral. H asked Mac (M) to defend the princess in the US immigration court (which was on her way past a shoe outlet). Nearly everyone M met, including the judge, commented that they had seen her performance on "JAG TV." The judge wasn't inclined to relent until M suggested that Fatima's marriage status be tried in an Islamic Sharia court (put together in the US). M was very knowledgeable about Islamic law and history. Fanny had not given her actual consent to the marriage, but her father had signed the marriage contract and acted as her proxy at the ceremony (beyond the age that he should have done so). She, however, had sold the dowry that her "husband" had given her so she lost in the sharia court and was considered married to the first husband. However she arranged to immediately divorce by giving him back the money. So Elling's marriage was void and Fatima would be deported, but he proposed again by giving her his phone card as a dowry. There was no resolution re immigration status; but, she could be killed for moral impropriety if she went back. H couldn't sway his CO on Elling so he plead guilty and relied on a trial of peers for punishment. The strategy worked: no brig, reduced rank to seaman and $1500 fine.

Chegwidden (C) made the coffee while Tiner was out registering for college. Watching him put many, many scoopfuls of grounds into the coffee maker both B and H commented that "might be enough." When they had to taste it H called it "robust" in a raspy voice to which C retorted that he "needed a REAL coffee drinker." They went in search of M who was just coming in arguing with Brumby (Brum) over his telling the press that he was Ms fiancé. Overhearing their discussion C decided that "she doesn't need any more coffee." Chief Bosch came for a visit to his old friend C, and when given the coffee said that it was "kinda weak." C finally told Dr Walden that her son was into drugs and that Danny had lied. She dumped C in a letter and was not dissuaded by Cs subsequent visit telling him that "Danny wouldn't lie to me," and "you never liked him." Danny gloated saying "we are happy and it isn't our job to make you (C) happy." Harriet (Ht) went into premature labor. The baby had a prolapsed chord and the delivery was delayed due to the absence of Dr Gettis. A C-Section was being prepared when Gettis rushed in and took over but it was too far down the birth canal and had to be "delivered and resuscitated" subsequently dying. Getting claimed he was with another patient. B cried on Cs shoulder.

JAG TV - 115

Ensign Kingsly killed Misty James, her husband Andy's lover, with a pipe wile she was forcing Andy to break up with Misty in her presence. Harm (H) and Mac (M) investigated and found that Kingsley and her husband had different stories but James had no defensive marks on her body and the fingerprints on the pipe, which were hers, were placed over spinal fluid meaning that she was attacked by surprised and the pipe placed in her hand after she had been hit. When Kinsley was arrested she hired Juanita Ressler, Ms old law school professor, to defend her. Ressler had her appear in the press where she claimed that she used self defense and had screamed out "they are trying to kill me." The press went into a feeding frenzy. M refused interviews but Ressler played to them and personally attacked M. Craig Kilborn showed a photo of M in a bikini with lude jokes and Ressler told them that she thought M would make a "better lap dancer than a lawyer." M couldn't obtain a "gag order" because the SECNAV allowed the court martial to be televised. Ressler played to the cameras. Bud was flummoxed by the. When Ressler was able to pressure security chief Dandridge into claiming he heard someone say "they are trying to kill me" that he had only ever heard on television, C counseled M to open up to the press. When M was unable to find direct evidence for several "rumored" prior incidents of Kingsley's violence, she finally gave a television interview. She said she was "disappointed in the many rumors" about Kingsley and "only dealt in facts." Several people came forth and M was able to get Kinsley to claim she wasn't emotion and "wouldn't do that" opening the door for using the new evidence. M also began playing Ressler's game with the cameras and quickly gained national TV notoriety. Kingsly was convicted and, when asked, M said that she was disappointed Ressler had obscured the truth and that she (M) had used trickery to bring it forward. The reporter asked "wasn't that what lawyers did?" and M replied "unfortunately it is."

Harm investigated the apparent suicide of PO Matteo Palermo at the impassioned request of Palermo's grandmother who was being prevented from burying him next to his mother by religious rules. Palermo had run out on the carrier deck in front of a landing F14 yelling "lets rumble"- the battle cry of comic book character Captain Atomic. H realized that Palermo had not been despondent because he had just finished writing a letter to his grandmother that he had been accepted into the SEAL program and was getting leave to ask his girlfriend to marry him. H had blood work done and found LSD in Palermo's blood. After seeing the comic book in Palermo's quarters and speaking with his roommate, H noticed the stamp on the grandmothers letters was different than all the other letters he had sent. H had the stamp tested and found LSD then talked with the roommate and found that it was his stash of stamps which had been accidentally borrowed for Palermo's letter. Palermo was buried with military honors by his mother.

The press claimed that M was engaged to Brumby (Brum) after he had told them he wouldn't "abuse his fiancé's privacy." M called Brumby and left a phone message that he had no right telling the press that they "were engaged when they weren't and weren't likely to be if he kept it up." Danny Walden was caught by Chegwidden (C) coming home at 5:30 am just as C was up jogging after staying with Danny's mother. Danny claimed that he had "fallen asleep on a friends couch." He then manipulated Chegwidden into loaning him his SUV, ostensibly to pick up a tree for his mothers birthday present. The SUV was found, by Detective Grady, locked and abandoned in a ditch with 8oz of marijuana in it. Danny had neither filed a police report nor told C but claimed that it had been stolen from the nursery parking lot but he just didn't have the courage to tell C. Then he denied being stoned or knowing about the drugs in Cs personal questioning.

Flight Risk - 114

[Barely believable episode] Tiner (Ti) looked through a college catalogue for classed to complete his bachelor's degree thinking of going to law school. Then he commented to Gunny (G) that he thought that being a lawyer was too calm and peaceful using the office as an example of people being so "nice." G complimented him on his powers of observation. Renee showed a sneak preview of her election commercial for Bobbi Latham to the JAG crew but it was anti-military spending and fell flat. She said they weren't her target audience. H hadn't heard from Sergei in two weeks. Renee still nagged Harm (H) to tell his mother about his half-brother Sergei. After all she had raised H alone so "probably wouldn't break." He came home one evening to find his mother and Renee in his apartment. Hs mother was on her way back from Venice where she renewed her vows with Frank, her new husband. Renee told H to ask them "where Frank bought their ring." H might have told his mother about Sergei but she revealed that she had "grieved all over again" when she found out that H had evidence he was really dead. Chegwidden (C) told Dr Walden that the next place they went for lunch had to have vertebrates on the menu, and asked her to the opera for her birthday. Danny Walden came to JAG and told (C)C about usually having dinner at a favorite resteraunt of his fathers on his mothers birthday so C agreed to go change and go with them both. C asked Mac (M) to look at, and comment on, his birthday gift, the complete works of Shakespeare. She called it "too thoughtful" and not enough romantic until C quoted a very romantic passage from it. Then Danny was a "no-show" at the dinner and didn't answer his phone so as to destroy his mothers date with C. They finally found him at home feigning innocence with a grin obvious to C but not to his mother.

H and Bud (B) bet on Ms tardiness to work. H won $1 for 0:5:12. Brumby (Brum) was there unexpectedly to M and embarrassed her. She told him "surprise, I've moved to America; surprise you're my brunch date; surprise, were working together." He claimed he "didn't want to mix business and pleasure" and she said "but back on the surprises or there won't be any more pleasure." H and B were assigned to investigate Frohl Technologies where two navy pilots were killed picking up a refurbished F14. Brum was representing FrohlTech and dogged them claiming pilot error, even into their JAG meeting! (?!!) He interfered with their interviews of employees and H didn't comment on it (?!!) Lt. Burke and Cdr Urquizu signed for the plane from Lt Cdr Holtsford, working at FrohlTech, then died when it crashed after take off. They met FrohlTech's test pilot, Wilson, who invited H to fly with him sometime. H finally talked to a rude mechanic alone who asked "what do pilots use for birth control?" H answered, "their personality," and asked "what is the difference between a pilot and a jet engine?" The mechanic answered, "the engine stops whining when it lands." H found that a plane was ready for pickup except for a CSD (constant speed drive) so Holtsford used the one out of the mishap plane. Then when it was ready he cannibalized the CSD from another arriving plane without paperwork, testing or inspection. C agreed to proceed with court martial of Holtsford but Latham (L)came asking for records saying that she had given Holtsford immunity for testifying in her committee on military waste and fraud. She became loud and abusive to H saying that "it's a done deal" so he demanded to be there. She was against project "spyglass" (another FrohlTech project) and H said that there wouldn't be a hearing if she wasn't in a reelection campaign. Going to a pre-hearing conference Congressman Porter told H that he was on "a fool's errand" to which L commented "and that makes me the fool?" Porter said that Spyglass was satellites which could read the label on Castro's cigar. Holtsford asked if he had immunity in the conference as well and was told "as long as you tell the truth." He dumped the whole thing on FrohlTech, saying that they never had enough man power, cut corners, hired inexperienced mechanics making it impossible to do the job without cannibalizing parts, falsifying reports and gun decking inspections; and so they could get through this job and onto the next. H said it was Holtsford's job to protect the Navy's interest and he said that he had been passed over for Cdr twice and was out in a year. FrohlTech had offered him a job to if he just got the planes out on time.

H was having mixed feelings about FrohlTech because he liked Spyglass. Porter questioned Holtsford who said that he had never seen the Jim Hepperly, the "big boss." Then Porter revealed a secret tape recording from Hepperly's office of Holtsford trying to "shake them down" for money in order to "say the right thing." Hepperly told him to "get out of his office." So L "bailed" on the issue trying to avoid bad press. H pointed out that Holtsford had lied making his immunity void and the court-martial back on. He volunteered to defend Holtsford and C advised that "there were other forums to expose corporate misdeeds." Brum still dogged Hs interview and was complimented on his "complete whitewash, except you forgot to fill in the hole where they crashed." Wilson asked H if he was "still turning over rocks" and H said that "the worms have a lawyer" so he had to leave. He then took Wilson up on the offer to fly and was told it was though H had never been out of the cockpit. They had to hurry back because the runway closed at 4 pm and he would be fined $500 which made H suspicious and he faked a CSD failure nearly running them into the ground until Wilson said "damn idiots, they keep doing this!" He still refused to testify for H because they wouldn't let him fly again but told H where to look. Brum claimed harassment and M obviously tag teamed with him against H so the judge denied Hs request for records. A mechanic said that when he came to work at 3 Wilson had just taken off to test the mishap plane. H knew Wilson couldn't have done the full 2 hour test if the runway closed at 4 so Wilson finally agreed to testify. He said that they scheduled 3 tests after noon which couldn't be done. M was shamed into agreeing with obtaining records and FrohlTech swamped them with useless records to obfuscate issues. L, B, M and H were going over the records when Brum walked in and confessed that he was there while the top echelon were culling papers to submit. He said that he had taken a memo and then gave them the "smoking gun." The memo was about "risk/reward analysis" on the refurbishment project and said they would cut their losses by "limiting the parameters of infrastructure support" preferring a few fines to the continued losses of doing it right. H and M bargained for Holtsford's "negligent homicide with 18 months." FrohlTech got a $10 million fine, reprimand and promise to work harder on the spyglass project.

Florida Straits - 113

Brumby (Brum) came to Mac's (M) apartment dressed in dark glasses and trench coat because "you only spend time with spy's." He said he had moved into Rock Creek Park with a good view and asked M to come with him to a lunch in his honor given by the boss of his new firm. M felt uncomfortable but agreed to go and was introduced to Larry Kaliski, senior partner at Ryan, Price and Sealy. Brum left her alone and she saw Kaliski and others ogling her and Brum gloating about being with her. Upset, she confronted him and he flew off the handle playing the martyr about having to constantly pursue her and walk her dog. He angrily shot that he "wasn't going to jeopardize this opportunity because of something that happened to her in her past" and told her to "get in the car." He later called and left a message on her machine that he had calmed down enough to talk and gave his address meant M had to come to him. She did and found him, still arrogant and playing the martyr, but she apologized to him. She told him that he "challenged her, in the best way, my preconceptions about men." He asked "do you love me?" and she said "yes." He said "is that because I love you," and she responded, "because you ARE you." He lit a match and said he was adding "another light to celebrate another week of having each other in our lives." Dr Walden and her son Danny came to JAG when Chegwidden (C) had forgotten their dinner date. She had told C that Danny had "good character" for returning a "friends" stolen goods. Renee, in Harm's (H) apartment, advised him that he should not keep information about his newly found brother, Sergei, from his mother because she had a right to know. Before that was settled Chegwidden called with an assignment.

Capt Berroa of the frigate USS Stanley Dace went to rescue Reynalda Montilla, a girl floating in the ocean off Cuba, and was "painted" by a Cuban vessel. They backed the vessel off but C sent Harm (H) and Bud (B) to investigate. Berroa, a Cuban orphan himself, said that Reynalda would probably be sent back because she wasn't "feet dry" (having had her feet on US soil). She and her father were in a 12 foot scow going to Florida when it sank in total darkness. He put air in his pants for a flotation device for her but was separated. She was poked by sharks until rescued. Her mother died when she was three and said she wanted to be taken to the US. Berroa denied permission for the INS agent, Mrs. Vitagliano, to land aboard the ship and told H that he was going to see that Reynalda got to the US. Thinking quick, H suggested that the INS might send Reynalda to the US because her father was dead and she had relatives in Florida. C told H that the "president was having 'Elian Gonzales nightmares' and doesn't want her anywhere near US soil." H didn't tell C about the helicopter incident then explained to B that he "respected the captain because he was smart enough to stay true to his principles without breaking rules." Vitagliano said she was sending Reynalda back because she had relatives in Cuba with the means to care for her. She explained that the circuit appeals court had held that a 12 year old could apply for asylum but a 6 year old wasn't old enough to do it. Reynalda began having stomach cramps while the Berroa was talking to her and he suggested that they take Reynalda to the US for diagnosis and treatment. Alone, he told her he hadn't suggested Reynalda fake an illness because he "breaks rules cleanly." Reynalda developed a fever so Vitagliano decided to allow taking her to the US. While H was on speakerphone explaining to the SECNAV and C they heard the general quarters alarm on the ship and H hung up. The Cubans claimed that Orlando Montilla, her father, was picked up by a garbage scow and returned to Cuba. Reynalda became "stable" so Vitagliano flip-flopped and wanted to send her back. H suggested that they verify the Cubans claim and the government invited Vitagliano and H to come and see. They were taken to see Castro and were shown on ZNN where C could see.

The Cuban interpreter wasn't doing it right so H confronted her on it. She then interpreted correctly but the father seemed pressured to say that he was happy in Cuba with his newly offered job and wanted to be with Reynalda. H told the captain of his orders and Berroa ordered him to stand down then headed for Key West. He told them that his Cuban parents had sent him, at four year of age, alone, to the US when they heard that Cuban children were being sent to school in East Germany. His father died in prison and his mother died of "heart failure" when she was 38. The SECNAV and C called and Berroa put the call on speakerphone so the SECNAV couldn't swear or act abusive. C advised the SECNAV to relieve Berroa of command and before he could Berroa cut the connection. H advised the XO, Cdr William Crozier, to get the SECNAV back on the phone but he said that he wouldn't. H asked if it was worth "your career to take a dive for the captains principles." Crozier wanted to talk to Reynalda who then told them that she still wanted to go to the US because she and her father had made an agreement that the one who made it would stay and the other would keep trying. A flash message came to the XO from the SECNAV and Berroa put Crozier under arrest so he couldn't take it. When they arrived at Key West they were stopped by Rodney Koger of the state department who told Vitagliano that it was the 7th circuit appeals court who set up the age of 12 and "we are in the 11th circuit." H stepped in with the idea that the parents wishes had no bearing when they were "abusive. He endangered her life in a broken down ship." He suggested Vitagliano take Reynalda into custody for processing. And B said "if the father wants to contest it he can come her to testify." Vitagliano backed Koger down the Reynalda was shown putting her feet on US soil and Berroa taken into custody. Vitagliano told H that if she "wasn't too old, too short or too married… never mind."

Legacy (Part II) - 112

[Continuation of season opener, an important episode to Harm's back-story] Sergei Zhukov, Harm's (H) recently found brother, showed H a photo that he carried of Harmon Rabb Sr and Sergei's mother together in Russia. Meanwhile, Alexi the opportunist cab driver, met Mac (M) and Webb (W) at the airport. M asked him if he was still working for the CIA, KGB, FSB or Russian Mafia. Sokol interrupted with "no, for me." Sokol was upset that they were in Russia and was going to deport them until W offered to work for him; because, "who else can you trust?" Sokol took W with him and told M that H went to investigate Krylof without knowing he was in the middle of their investigation of Rokotof the assassin. M asked Alexi what the fare was to Chechnya. Corporal Trapeznikov, the communication clerk who called Sergei the order to abandon the convoy, was gone. He was granted an early discharge by Krylov. They went to the exit camp and Trapeznikov said that it was Krylov who had ordered the guards to withdraw, then told them were to find the original signed order. M, speaking Russian fluently, bribed her way through a guard that was ordered to stop a Moscow taxi. Changing a flat tire, Alexi wanted to turn back and alluded to her love for H. She said she was practically engaged to Brumby (Brum) and Alexi asked "how many artillery attacks have you driven through for him?" H and Volkonov found the signed order but Krylov planted stolen weapons on Sergei's helicopter and arrested him on a trumped up charge of treason. W panicked that M was missing. Sokol confessed that he had manipulated Hs whole situation and that he did "like H" which is why he had "thrown something extra in the pot for him to meet a family surprise."

H and Volkonov were allowed to defend Sergei but their witness was "accidentally" killed in a mine accident. The trial was a set up with graft ridden judges who denied all motions and threatened to jail H for submitting evidence against Krylov. Krylov lied and H had to refute him with the information that Sergei was his brother. Sokol lost Rokatov from his surveillance. President Putin was flying to visit his troops at Krylov's camp. Sergei was sentenced to death, after the judges denied any appeal, to be carried out the next day. H and Volkonov went to appeal to Krylov for a stay to appeal, under their law, to Putin. Krylov said they could "ask Putin themselves this afternoon when he comes." She M arrived H, Sergei and Volkonov were all locked in the brig together close to where Putin was shortly arriving. She spotted Rokatov the informed them all of the assassin then was locked in as well. Rokatov drove a vehicle loaded with explosives next to the brig; then, when guards tried to keep them inside H subdues him and they went after Rokatov. Sergei defused the remote device and H hot-wired the vehicle. He chased Rokatov, who had the remote detonator, down the tarmac. He caught up with him just as Sokol and W arrived. Sergei refused to go back with H even with Ws 1st class "company" upgrade.

Bud (B) defended the navy in a suit brought by Miss Reynolds, a reality show contestant, for causing her to loose a million dollars when they "rescued" her from her sinking raft in the ocean. The same full-of-herself, I-am-the-law civilian judge as in other episodes was a survivor fan and "chatted" with Reynolds on the stand. Reynolds claimed she didn't want to be rescued. Captain Anson said he thought that her unrealistic combativeness was delirium and that he had never heard of the TV show. B showed that the captain was under orders to rescue anyone in distress in the sea. Reynolds was belligerent and condescending about the ships sailors who hadn't even heard of the show - B put her in her place. The shows producer, Berlin, said that Reynolds was in no danger then pre-emptively announced that she had been selected as the first contestant in their new series "marry me now" and would win $1 million if she was married in four hours. The judge dismissed the case when Reynolds began asking everyone in the courtroom to marry her. Brum came to JAG, ostensibly to deliver a witness list, but asked Chegwidden (C) about Ms wereabouts. C asked him if he was "more bothered that M was missing or that H was missing with her."

Legacy (Part I) - 111

[Two part season opener important to Harm's backstory] Russian helicopter pilot Sergei Zhukov was shot down over Chechnya by a missile. Before it exploded he went back for his papers which turned out to be a photo of Harm (H). H was sent to Russia to "advise" on their military's legal system. Chegwidden (C). told him "just don't shoot holes in their courtroom ceilings." He was stuck in an old lavatory with a selection of files 30 years old in Russian. A Russian came in appearing drunk and going to use the toilet before H strongly stopped him. He helped H read some Russian files until H showed insight into Russian soldiers' problems then dropped his drunk act. Capt Volkonov told him that some "do-gooders" in the Kremlin arranged Hs mission but "these people see no advantage in it." He enlisted Hs support in going after a corrupt Col Gen, Arkady Krylov. He showed H Krylov's mansion which he obtained by selling weapons to Chechens. He was the Dept Commander of Western Forces who were fighting the Chechens! They went to Krylov's base, ostensibly to observe the legal system, and Krylov assigned Zhukov to fly them around a limited area. Eventually Zhukov told H that the missile which shot him down was Russian and rumors were that arms convoys from Kanyshev arrive with less than their manifests. H and Volkonov flew with Zhukov in air support for the next convoy. He dropped them off to inspect the manifest and was ordered to go to Bamut while they did. The convoy was ambushed and everyone killed except H and Volkonov. When Zhukov returned H slugged him for setting them up and called him a liar. Sergei said he "would not lie to the son of Lt Harmon Rabb" and explained that Rabb had escaped from a Siberian Gulag and was taken in by a farm woman in the village of Suishchevo. He later died defending the woman from drunken soldiers; and, the woman was his mother so H was his brother.

Mac (M) and Bud (B) were prosecuting Cdr Wade Carlton who was caught selling secrets to a Russian Embassy agent Andre Suknoff. Carlton tried to bargain with M for his cooperation but was blown up in a car bomb. C, M and B went over all the information he sold and found a map of Michigan and some plans for an unknown plant named "rouge." B found a new phone number Carlton had called several times after his arrest and it turned out to be Clayton Webb's (W). W said that Carlton had wanted to trade information on a big operation but W had delayed until after the trial which was too late. Brumby (Brum) was at Ms apartment fixing dinner when W came with information so he was sent to walk Jingo. M and B accompanied W to find the person who recently bought a remote control device and met "Mark Falcon"/ Major Sokol at the house. Sokol said that the assassin was Vasilieve Rokatov but he had already gone. M and Brum were going out again when Sokol came with new information so Brum took Jingo for another walk. Sokol told M, W and B that Rokatov had also been paid for an earlier assassination in the US but it had been cancelled then recently rescheduled. B put together that it was the Detroit "rouge" auto plant that President Putin had planned to visit. A military faction, which Suknoff and Krylov were in, had Carlton killed because he had guessed their plan. Krylov was then shown talking to Rokatov in Russia.

W convinced C that M should go to Russia to act independently pursuing the assassin of Carlton because they were uncertain which KGB faction Sokol was really in. C told him that he just wanted a "stalking horse to stir things up" and W agreed. He told M to "go get 'em" then menacingly told W "you better keep an eye on her." Harriet (Ht) returned Madonna's dress that she had worn but it had cheesecake stains on it. She had pelvic pains at JAG and C took her to the doctor's office. They met Dr. Gettis who was ordering a Porsche because he was a "short timer." He did an ultrasound which showed that she just had ligament strain and that the baby was a girl. Brum fished for assurance that M wanted him there, after quitting the navy and moving to DC without telling her. B was assigned to defend the Navy against a suit by a contestant in a reality show who had been "rescued" from a sinking raft against her will, thus causing her to loose the contest.

Surface Warfare - 110

Mikey (Mk) was charged with mis-setting a CIWS gun (6,000 rounds/minute) and nearly hitting a boat of disembarking marines during a politically charged training exercise in Florida- all in the setting of two arrogant and abusive leaders. As fire control man aboard the USS Wake Island he took over control of shooting down a drone after the prime control center had a malfunction. The drone should have gone around again but Capt Lyle ordered Mk to go ahead when Marine Colonel Pergament said he didn't have time. Mk told the XO he "didn't do it," a "little too loud" so Lyle threw him in the brig on bread and water for 3 days; which is where Bud (B)found him. B begged Chegwidden (C) to let him go "assist" Mk (and C didn't send anyone else?) then began asking questions of the crew. Mk's apprentice, Harold Schofield, said he checked the "no-fire" settings and they were correct. The landing boatman said the marines had been off course and had corrected. Pergament took issue of B questions and sent him "unofficially" to the brig for 24-hours to question his own brother. C sent Mac (M) to straighten it out. B told her that she was a "marine and could break through their wall of silence." Pergament told her that she "was a marine and could break through the navy crap." The infighting continued between marines (who used all the water and took two pieces of pie each) and sailors and their leaders. When Mk got out his buddies told him he should have aimed higher to actually hit the "jarheads." Local environmentalists were trying to obstruct the navy's use of Florida land after a mishap in Puerto Rico had killed a civilian and the governor had kicked the navy off their routine practice site. When M asked Lyle why he didn't have the drone go around again he got angry with her. So C sent H down to settle things down. H saw the series of mishaps as a pattern. A protest rubber raft steered directly at the ship "looking for an incident which would make headlines." The protesters all jumped in the water then sent their boat into the ships hull. H spoke with a female protestor and found that she knew of the gun incident and Mk by name. Seeing their hurried, poor planning of the incident he realized it had been last minute because they thought the exercise would have already been canceled. She confessed that the group had "hacked into the navy computer and caused the gun accident." H recommended the exercise be cancelled which ticked off both Lyle and Pergament.

So C, the SECNAV and Webb (W), all came to make people play nice! (W ostensibly thought it might be a Cuban plot to get the navy back to Puerto Rico.) H conjectured that the protestors might not have hacked into the computer but had a spy instead. He suggested that Mk "walk them through it." Mk left the console for a 5 min head break and again afterwards to see what had happened. Both times he locked it but Schofield had access. H "chatted" Schofield into admitting that his girlfriend Jennifer had talked him into sabotaging the gun to fire close to the marines- but they really
C was receiving an award at a Surface Warfare Ball and B was assigned to write his speech. C panicked through episode as the speech wasn't written. Singer (S) was to have gone with a Lt Cdr assigned to the joint chiefs. H with Renee, C with Walden and M stag. S offered to get M a date which she declined. Walden wanted to meet all Cs friends. He asked H if they were friends if they called each other "sir." Harriet (Ht) worried she didn't fit in any dress and Renee offered to get a dress worn by Madonna when she was pregnant. When she told B he replied that she couldn't wear a dress stolen from Madonna. Gunny (G) found Tiner (Ti) with his feet up behind Cs desk and reprimanded him. Ss date was a no-show so she hooked up with doofus JAG lawyer "Alfred." Renee brought Madonna's dress for Ht but she refused until they got a "ruling" from S who said "it's Kosher." B "wow'd" at Ht in the dress. M was alone until Brumby magically appeared having, without telling M, "reserved" his commission and moved to DC to "be near the one he loved." H and M "looked" at each other as they went into the ball - (hence the season cliff hanger.)

Body Talk - 109

Lt Commander Teresa Coulter came to her parents house and found her mother dead in bed. She turned down the thermostat, opened the window, stopped the record player stuck on a depressing song and noticed the dead goldfish. Ten years later she stormed into Harm's (H) office having found out that he had obtained a new trial from an appellate court for her father who was doing time in Leavenworth for murder. H told her that the defense attorney was only 26 years old, first murder trial, conducted ineffective cross examination, and failed to interview key witnesses. Captain Chaddock, her father, said that he'd written to Teresa many times without response. He was self incriminating regarding being abusive to his wife and forcing Teresa to hate him. He wasn't worried about Hs conflict of interest knowing his daughter because "H was a principled man." Mac (M) was assigned to prosecute and Bud (B) as Hs second chair. Capt French, Chaddock's next door neighbor, said he'd heard many arguments from the Captain but only twice from the wife: once, the day of the death when Captain left; and, second, the day before with Rory Coulter, her son-in-law. He told NCIS about it but they weren't interested. French said that a furnace repairman had been there and heard the argument as well. Teresa informed that Rory had a job offer in California and they were going to move which upset her mother greatly. She said that Rory was a weak man who ran from problems and had left her after her mother died rather than face Teresa's grief. She told H if he valued their friendship he'd drop Rory as a suspect. He went to talk to Rory and found that he had stolen a car when he was 18, hadn't put it on his job application, and his mother-in-law had told him that she had "ways to stop me" from taking Teresa to California. The job otter was withdrawn shortly afterward so she must have called the company and told them. Rory got upset with H and B and stormed out, leaving his jacket. H was showing plainly that all the prosecution evidence was circumstantial. Teresa wouldn't speak to her father in court. She testified that he had berated her mother on a daily basis and had threatened to kill her if she ever told him to shut up again. A week before her death, her mother had called Teresa and said she had thrown the Capt out because he had assaulted her. B got her to admit that her mother and husband had been angry with each other. There was a single un-identified hair found on her mothers body which B matched to a hair on Rory's coat left in the office. M refused to bargain. Gunny (G) found that the repairman Ramón Arguento had run out of material, left repair of the propane furnace undone and advised against using it.

Rory refused to talk to M, on his attorney's advice, so she brought Teresa. Teresa asked him why he was acting so guilty. Later he skipped town which hurt Ms case so Teresa offered to help "find more evidence against him" and asked for the autopsy. Instead, she found that the autopsy showed "minimal brain swelling" not matching the supposed cause of death by trauma. She refused Hs request for exhumation. Her father testified that he had threatened his wife many times but the first time he ever hurt her was a week before her death when he pushed her and she hit her head on a bed post. She never left him because she was afraid to be left all alone but she called him every day at the motel. He had argued with her but she refused to take him back. Based on that Teresa allowed the exhumation which showed that there had been some bone healing of the fracture before death. H and B stayed into the night going over seemingly unrelated clues then, the next day, were shown examining Teresa on the stand and revealing that her mother had committed suicide by turning on the defective furnace expelling carbon monoxide into the room and also killing the fish. He was acquitted. H and M push Teresa into finally talking with her father. She just said "Hi."

Lt Irene Charter, daughter of deceased Admiral Leslie Charter and close friend of Chegwidden's (C)
came to ask C a favor. She said she was "terminal" in 3 months with pancreatic cancer and wanted to be buried next to her parents in Arlington but was getting run-around from the cemetery supervisor. C told her that he would try and help then went to speak with the supervisor. The supervisor told C that reservations were not allowed then lied that the plot in question was already filled. C confronted him with his lie and said "tell me the truth or I'll walk out there with a spade and check for myself." The supervisor said that he "wasn't in a position to reveal who had 'reserved' it," and C threatened "exactly what position would make you change your mind?" Not able to find his phone, C went to General Pipin's address and found that he was having a retirement party. Pipin was being shagged by a widow, Marjorie, and told C he would relinquish the plot if he would do him a favor. C had to dance with Marjorie. Dr Walden came to visit Cs office and was told "she looked luminous." She told him "you look vigorous." H accidentally walked in on them and Walden suggested that they "double socially" to Cs stares. Then Irene came back and, before C could tell her that he had gotten the plot, said that she didn't want the plot anymore because she had sought a second opinion and had been misdiagnosed so she wasn't dying.

Real Deal Seal - 107

[This episode had such a ridiculously implausible plot line so as to be insulting to regular viewers and damaging to DJ Elliot's character (Harm) who was shown to lie to Mac, unrealistically put his life in danger, and be derelict in his legal skills.] Lt Curtis Rivers, using his medal of honor, crashed an election rally for "Wild Bill" Layton running for the senate, and called him an imposter. Layton, who was wearing his navy pin on his lapel, told everyone that he was a "Navy SEAL" and running on the platform of "integrity in government and family values." Rivers removed the pin and Layton took a swing at him. Rivers held his hands up and stepped back until Layton came at him again so he decked him. Chegwidden (C) told Harm (H) that Layton wasn't a SEAL but had received a Navy Cross. Also that Rivers was in a group of retired SEALS who exposed imposters. B said there were "more fraudulent SEALS than real ones." C assigned H to try and obtain an apology from Rivers so any charges would "go away." Senator Henry Barrington asked C for permission to submit his name for a federal judgeship then segwayed, without gratification, into Layton's case. Rivers refused H the apology and instead told him of another imposter who was a gun for hire. The FBI knew about him but were stymied. C asked Bud (B) to help with the application and B told he would be good for the job but would the job be good for him. Mac (M) was assigned to prosecute but wanted 24 hours to reason with Layton. Instead she found a campaign manager who quoted a focus group that said to "convict Rivers" and that "compassion was in this year." When M pointed out that the spotlight would be turned on him, Layton said he "had nothing to hide." H offered to defend Rivers but he declined saying he'd "do it himself" and that H could be 2nd chair. Instead he told H of the imposter-assassin, Earl Ticktin, who washed out of Navy after basic and had three confirmed kills. Rivers smugly told H that he'd hired Ticktin to kill H as bait(?!!). Then convinced him to go along with it by basically calling him "chicken" (?!!) He introduced H to Pops Munchak and Vic Velasco who were arguing with each other. Rivers said "relax, I'd trust them with my life," and H retorted "I'd trust them with YOUR life too." They then offered to "call off the hit" if H said so and he didn't (?!!) Rivers made his own opening statement and began eloquently using rhetoric about SEALS. M objected, and the judge asked him if H could perform the duties of a SEAL. He responded "no," so she asked him "what makes you think you do the job of a trial lawyer." He responded "because he knew the truth" and she quipped "obviously you've never been to law school."

H went jogging with Rivers who was explaining his defense strategy to claim that he was making a citizens arrest. H pointed that he hadn't arrested only forcibly removed the pin and punched him. Rivers claimed "in self-defense" but then macho-ly claimed that he had not felt the least bit threatened by Layton. Munchak took a shot at a sniper targeting H but missed and lost him on a motorcycle. Rivers said "we'll get him next time" and H merely shook his head (?!!) The sniper loaded his own shells, 7.62 mm with soft rim primers and hollow point. Rivers remembered a previous FBI case sighting of a motorcycle so they went to talk to police chief Carson. There was a report of someone shooting transformers and setting off explosives in the Vallecito Mtn's. The FBI had investigated after someone had confessed hiring a contract killer and made a pay drop in the location but couldn't find anything. H told M that he didn't know why anyone would try and kill him. M said she "hoped he wasn't involved in one of Rivers crazy scheme's and H said "you know me better than that!" (?!!) M made the motion to prevent H from bringing up Layton's military record and the Judge Granted the motion. Layton lied that Rivers assaulted him. H did convince Rivers to let him cross-examine Layton. Rivers told the judge "there are different kinds of beaches to storm, this one is Cdr Rabb's." H let Layton pontificate and his playing to the crowd brought up his military service so, with the door open, H was able to impeach his military record. Layton claimed that he "didn't go around touting his own horn about his decorations." He said he "earned his trident in the field (?!!) when he rescued 3 POWs." H showed only one American had ever been rescued from captivity during the entire Vietnam war. Layton claimed that it was a black op, and no-one would admit it. The rest of his platoon disappeared in Cambodia- he was on solo recon and never made the mission.

Barrington began trying to pull strings with C for his friend "Bill Layton." Carson called H to come up to a cabin he found in the mountains before the FBI got there and H went without telling anyone (?!!) Rivers had his buddies check if Layton's Navy Cross was really classified. (?!!) Claiming that Ticktin had been sighted, he got H to go with him to the cabin. H called M to ask her to request a continuance but didn't reveal anything (?!!). When M was receiving the continuance Rivers objected claiming that he was ready (?!!) then, only after Layton was on the stand, Munchak rushed in with evidence he'd just obtained. Rivers asked how he obtained his Cross and Layton described a "riverine OP on the Mekong Delta where he captured a North VN Major on an ambush and abduction mission under fire then interrogated him to reveal a weapons stockpile. Rivers pointed out that Layton had been in a public affairs office writing press releases and Layton gloated "before he was transferred to combat unit." Rivers had Layton read one of his press releases which turned out to be of PO Mora with the exact same details Layton had just claimed for himself! Rivers asked him to describe any of the men in his unit that disappeared or give names and his couldn't. Rivers called him a coward, liar and imposter and Layton just sat there. Carson sent H around to the back of the cabin and claimed that he was an excellent shot and could cover him. He said he loaded his own ammo and described the same ammo that H knew of the sniper. Suspicious, H found a booby trap and set it off drawing Carson in for the kill. H took pot shots at him until, as he tried to escape, H got the drop on him. Instead of dropping his gun, he turned to shoot H but was shot himself. H returned to stand by Rivers as the verdict was read. Found "not guilty" of conduct unbecoming but "guilty" of assault and battery (?!!), with forfeiture of one day pay. Barrington told C that "in time he would learn to be a team player." When he became a judge he would "remember who got you that appointment." When C advised of constitutional separation of powers, Barrington spoke of "the difference between the platitudes of civic lessons and cold hard realities; and that it would be a mistake to disagree." C advised "no, the mistake was yours." H told C that he would "miss him" and C retorted "why? Are you leaving us again?"

Overdue & Presumed Lost - 108

[A barely believable episode with inconsistencies but was dedicated to all USN submariners on the event of the 100th anniversary of the first USN sub] On 5 Dec 1941 the USS Dolphin, a submarine on patrol, spotted the "entire Jap fleet," 45 miles NW of Hawaii. They stayed on the surface, despite being found and shelled, until their radio message to pearl was received. Fifty-nine years later the sound of a sunken ships hull was picked up on sonar listening devices and triangulated to the last known location of the Dolphin. Self claimed archeologist/treasure hunter, Jack Riggins, ran to the site and "dropped his flag" claiming in court, "finders keepers." Riggin's attorney, Stewart Grossman, told Chegwidden (C) that "the judges down here are different" than what he was used to. Admiral Matthew Stanton, an old friend of Cs represented the SECNAV and interests of the submarine community. C told Harm (H) that a privilege of rank is the opportunity to squash parasites like Riggin's myself." He assigned H to fill in for him at his budget hearings saying "last time you got the funds to repair your holes in the courtroom ceiling." Judge green was flippant and full of herself making snide comments. C pointed to specific laws making US vessels property of the government in perpetuity, that it wasn't abandoned, and that it was a gravesite for 60 sailors. Green asked Riggins if a restraining order would cause him hardship and he replied it would and accused the navy of covering up the fact that the government had ignored radio messages in order to get the US into war in order to solidify public opinion with outrage. The accusation was so completely idiotic it flummoxed C. Green refused the restraining order but said C could be on the vessel as an observer.

Using a remote sub they brought up the ships lock box and found the ships log intact. It showed that a warning message had, in fact, been sent and acknowledged by Cardinal Point listening station. C, with H and Gunny (G) had to overcome the ineptitude of the records storage facility personnel and found the message log book but the applicable page had been razored out! Riggins came to Cs office and told him that he would help solve the puzzle because "you're hooked- the ghosts are speaking to you." He asked G to find personnel of Cardinal Point and Admiral Stanton was revealed. Stanton told C that he had definitely received it and sent it on to Washington, per protocol. They were supposed to decide which messages to send back and when he saw the zero's three miles out he was surprised that the fleet was still at anchor because he had forwarded the message hours before. He told C that the message was received by undersecretary of war Malloy (or something that started with an M). G personally twisted the records clerk into searching boxes for the undersecretary's material and found the actual message misfiled in a folder on the Panama Canal. Judge Green pontificated that "I am the law" and the laws cited by C didn't pertain to "historical truth." She allowed the salvage claim of Riggins. Upset C told Riggins to "listen to see what the ghosts were telling HIM now." Later C and Stanton were show in a memorial service at Pearl. Riggins told C that he had withdrawn his claim citing that he had "listened to the ghosts, and to you (C)."

Renee told H that the JAG budget was just like a movies and shamed him into saying he preferred doing budget with her than onboard the vessel with C. He told C that he didn't get the 4.3% increase that C had told him to get; rather, he got 8.1% by adding funds for inflation factor, contingency fund, and travel allowance. Bud (B) was assigned to defend PO 2nd class Potts in his court-martial for ditching his mandatory physical training and taking diet pills to loose weight. He said he wanted to stay in but Mac (M) told him that his love of the Navy was outweighed by his utter lack of military discipline. B identified with him and said that the navy was using his as a scapegoat to send a message. He told him that he had "lost 20 pounds when he had his jaw wired." He showed that Potts' job required him to sit and run a 50million dollar missile system and that his CO said he didn't care how much he weighed unless he broke the chair. A BMI greater than 25 was considered unfit for the navy ( weight (in pounds) X 705 / square root of height (in inches)) and Potts could do it in his head. There were two recruiters watching the trial and started a bidding war in the hallway over Potts, including $120K, stock option, condo's etc. M was astounded when he said he "just wanted to stay in the navy." She counter-offered with "$20k, forfeit 30 days pay, 2 week confinement to quarters, drug testing, mandated PT and regulated diet, and may end up in combat." He took it!

The Witches of Gulfport - 106

[For some reason this episode has been shown many times. To me, it was less interesting than most other episodes having a weak and often silly plot line and acting.] Mac went undercover as CPO Bonnie Johnson in a Mississippi Wicken coven to investigate by PO Plunket's claim of rape after being bewitched by chief Lane Merker the "high priest." Harm and Bud also investigated without being able to obtain much imformation decided to "go public" in order to see if M could pick up more inside "talk." A slick southern attorney countered Plunkets testimony of not being able to move or talk. Another wicken, Seaman Stortz, was upset at the turn of events and, failing to get compliance, M introduced her to H. H called M to the stand. The Judge wouldn't let her give "hearsay"; so H called Stortz and she refused to talk even with threats of contempt. H quoted the hearsay exemption rule, so M could testify, and Stortz finally testified that Merker had forcibly raped her also, but without spells. Merker was found guilty. Tiner received an "all seeing eye" pyramid that B had ordered for research. Tiner believed that Chegwidden had accidentally used the tower to "curse" both congressman Steelsmith the ACLU rep, Wilfred Waller. When C had enough of Tiner's speculation he transferred his "power" to Tiner who then began using it on people's problems at JAG. Seeing that, C destroyed the pyramid. M called Brumby several times. He was also undercover and making out with a lady arms smuggler. The episode closed with Brum and M "talking dirty" to each other over the phone.

Drop Zone - 105

Five brand new jumpers exited the plane 800 meters short of the drop zone with 75# of gear and 65# of parachute landing unexpectedly in the water. Senior Chief PO Braken was jumpmaster and court-martialed for culpable negligence. He claimed that the "jump light" was green when he sent the men out but the pilot had realized they were short and not flipped it to green. Bud (B) and Singer (S) were defending against Mac's (M) prosecution. She had taken a long time drafting the charges and when PO Comstock died she amended the charges to involuntary manslaughter. Harm (H) explained that was what attorneys did when the outcome of a victim was in question. They can delay up to the statute of limitations but couldn't change it once they had tried a person for a lesser charge. PO Scaline said he jettisoned his gear before hitting the water but Comstock had not. He was blue when retrieved from the water. Braken, feeling shaken, admitted to B and S that he had not been on the schedule and was out drinking the night before the mishap when he was called as a last minute replacement. He said only Capt Miller (of the mishap board) knew of this and S advised him not to say anything more to anyone. B took issue with that but S said she "intended to win" until Chegwidden (C), who had overheard their argument, asked them if they understood the first chair was in charge. M talked to Dr Eric Miller but he refused to reveal anything to her. Instead, he just said "do what you always do." That prompted her to have Gunny (G) check records and found a 12-year prior DUI. She told G to take his photo to all the bars in Norfolk. M called Miller on the stand and asked him only if the drug tests he did "would have" shown ETOH use and S shot up with her objection. B had to sit her back down, later telling her that she had just telegraphed to M that there was a problem in that area. S said "I underestimated her," B responded "or overestimated yourself." She said "it won't happen again" and that night M found Part B of the mishap board report on the seat of her car open to the page and circled in red. She took it to H (instead of reporting it) and burned it in his stove.

G had only finished half the search and asked M if she wanted him to continue. She responded "if those were your orders." He then found Krista Berren who saw Braken drinking and M called her to testify. When she did S was ready with her objections and B asked for exclusion of the testimony because it was obtained inappropriately from Part B. He said he would trust Ms word and she admitted she had seen it. Judge DeLario struck that testimony and filed charges against M. C removed M from the case and assigned H. Over lunch B said that it was S who had pointed out Ms transgression to him. PO Scaline testified that he had seen the green jump light then after Hs cross examination told Braken he had only gone off what he had said. Bracken said "it had to be." H came back with an plea bargain offer of negligent homicide with failure to use due care, dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and 3 years confinement. B disagreed then Braken began arguing. H gave him his full barrel closing argument that it was his job to not trust a .90 cent light and stick his head out the door to check for danger- which he would have done if he hadn't been hung over. Braken finally agreed to the settlement. H called S into his office and said he didn't know who put the report in Ms car but if he ever found out he'd "personally ruin that persons career." Smugly she asked "are you accusing me?" He said "no, warning you not to let your personal ambitions overtake your abilities." She retorted that she "wasn't a thief or liar but she'd use any means necessary to achieve her goal of being the first female JAG."

B had his "wires" removed last week and can eat and speak again. C was on a high, complimenting everyone to the point H asked Tiner, "is he being jolly." H had a dream of M and Renee kickboxing in a ring and when he tried to stop them M told him "YOU go to YOUR corner Hormone!" She then switched to Brumby, in boxing gloves and shorts, and when he turned away he saw his father in the crowd motioning for him to take Brumby on, just as he was punched in the face and awoke in a sweat. He called Renee and made a date for a walk in the park. She came still playing the martyr about him embarrassing her on the stand. C asked H where to take a woman for a romantic weekend. He suggested the Virgin Islands. C played telephone tag with Dr Walden the asked if she'd like to go to Aruba. She said no but suggested the VI. M made reservations for a flight to Australia. H asked her if it was to "go to Brumby or get away from here." She said "both." She unknowingly met Walden at the airport who told her that she though navy men were "so vigorous." When she saw C, she called him "admiral vigorous" to his confusion.

Sr Chief Walter Bracken caused trainees to jump short into water; one died. He was hung-over; as placed in "part B" of mishap report. Capt. Eric Miller of mishap board told prosecutor M to "do what she normally does" regarding Bracken." S advised Bracken not to talk to mishap board & argued w/ B (jaw unwired), C overheard & backed S down. An opened and circled "part B" left in Ms car; she talked w/ H, burned it & told no one. M eventually admitted she'd seen it, but Judge Delario wouldn't accept her assurances, quashed the witness G found & filed ethics charges. H gave Bracken a sample of his closing argument about "hould have stuck your head out the door to see" & got him to accept 3 yrs confinement. H realized S left report & reamed her but she didn't admit it & said she would "do anything it takes" to be "the first female JAG." H had dream of Renee & M boxing over him, changing to Brum & him. Renee finally returned & tried to seduce H. C took Dr Sydney Waldon to St Johns; M ran to Australia & met Waldon at airport where they talked about "vigorous" navy men.

Promises - 104

[A weakly written, mostly unbelievable episode; but which "set up" the base for future "back-story" episodes.] Renee's recruitment video was unveiled- (not containing any shot of the Washington monument at "magic hour", and mostly voice over shots of sub's, jets, and "exciting stuff.") Chegwidden (C) noticed for Harm (H) that Renee, Leatham (L) and Mac (M) were talking in a group and the only thing they had in common was HIM. Seaman Andrea Granato walked off the USS Hartung after continually being given grunt work by an apparently sexist chief. Then her equally sexist female CO charged her with desertion for missing ships deployment. H was assigned defense and M prosecution. Singer (S) volunteered to help H but C denied and instead gave her the prosecution of a "joyriding" PO. Cdr Woodling told M that Granato was a "whiner." M asked directly if "it was personal" and she launched into rhetoric about how hard females were discriminated against in the military and said M "had better understand that if you were going to prosecute the case." H spoke with Granato who said that her recruiter had lied to her about air traffic controller positions being available. She told H that if he couldn't get his head around that, then he shouldn't be her lawyer. She had seen his recruiting commercial and called him "just a recruiter." Recruiter Roger Pearson denied he had promised her anything but let slip that his quota of 1.5/month was doable where the former requirement of 4/month was not. H asked S to do some checking and see if there were others that Pearson had lied to. She turned around and dumped the job on Gunny (G) and when he found someone, she then ran and gave it to H taking all the credit in full sight of G. L came to M to interject herself into the women's issue wanting Granato to testify to her "retention subcommittee." Granato's mother told H that the recruiter "filled her head with exciting stuff" and didn't know she was unhappy until she got home. M found that Granato had gone directly to boyfriend Peter Skowron's house and on the stand Skowron claimed Granato wanted to get back together with him. H shot down his ego trip to that he only had a casual relationship with her.

The chief Rowe complained how angry he was that Granato quit cause everyone else were working like plow horses. H had him admit that he was singling her out for drudge work. Woodling claimed that Granato's absence made life harder for everyone else. H showed that her absence hadn't hurt the ships readiness and that Woodling had basically "let off" 3 men for U/A under her command but charged the one female with desertion; basically to prove that she was a tough commander. When H told M that Woodling was doing exactly what I said she did "and you know it," M called Renee as a witness (????) M claimed she was a "recruiting expert" and Renee said she was chosen for "my edge, my honesty, my independence. The Navy wanted to present a fair picture of itself." It was easy for H to box her into admitting the picture she portrayed wasn't anywhere near the image that she, herself, had of the Navy." She went from the courtroom in tears portraying the martyr. Pearson was shown to have had another male recruit who was given an honorable discharge eight months after signing when the navy failed to honor a contract that Pearson had made. He admitted he didn't lie but didn't point out any of the "bad things that could happen." H told the jury that the charges "far outweigh" the transgression and they found her not guilty on everything except being UA. H told Granato that she would probably get a dishonorable discharge.

C was asked by his friend, Peter Tulley, to help him with his FNAEB for taxiing his jet off the end of the ramp having taken Viagra 21 hours prior. It supposedly hinders ability to distinguish green and blue (taxiway lights) but civilian requirements are only 6 hours. C went to see urologist Sydney Walden "about his friend" and she assumed he was lying. He told her "I am the JAG for the US NAVY and as such I think I possess enough respect for the truth to be forthcoming if I had a problem, which I don't." He commented on noticing the photo of her son Danny, who played lacrosse for Maryland. She wanted to test Tulley to see if the drug really effects him; but, he refused because the alternative meant that he was a bad pilot. C just stood up for him at the hearing and said that Tulley's career didn't deserve to end on such a note. Tully was returned to duty and suggested C come to dinner and "bring a date." Harriet flit through the episode angry and annoying everyone until she admitted that she was again pregnant. C was shown calling Walden for a date.

Bridge at Kang So Ri - 103

[An episode with more than usual amounts of plot "holes"] A US military unit in the Korean war had orders not to let anyone cross the bridge at Kang So Ri. When a whole bunch of what looked like civilians tried crossing and kept coming after warning shots were fired they were fired upon when one of them put his hand inside his jacket. Apparently no investigation was done to definitively ascertain whether the killed "civilians" were carrying weapons. Twenty three years later some of the soldiers gave press interviews claiming they had shot civilians. A general Wolfe headed the former investigation which exonerated the men and was believed by the South Koreans. The North Koreans, however, didn't believe it. Wolfe, arrogant and insulting, was accompanying Harm (H) and Mac (M) on there new investigation. They were surprised to find Renee Peterson on the 747 to Korea with them. She said she was doing a ZNN interview with Charley Hoskins (one of the informers). She went flying all over, alienating people, insulting M and said she had already talked to the N Koreans. She played the "hurt lady" when H told her about confidentiality and that she "was not working WITH them." Wolfe told Renee that two days before the bridge incident soldiers let civilians pass with pregnant women who were actually soldiers with grenades in belly packs and killed 11. Terrorists took over the plane with a gun made from smuggled in parts and some placed in the Vegetarian meal cartons. Solla Jong, a woman, claimed that Hoskins had killed her grandparents. She, with her two male companions, shot the co-pilot and ordered the plane to N Korea. She said she was going to have a trial of Wolfe and Hoskins for murder. M masqueraded as a flight attendant and hid a fire extinguisher under her seat.

When he found out about it, C sent Bud (B) to find Webb (W) and get information. B stuffed the Burpee Bear -containing a small recorder- that he had gotten for AJs present, into his briefcase. Renee was the one who had given their flight information to the N Koreans and Solla threatened to shoot her if H didn't tell the location of M. H didn't tell but M stood up. C and the SECNAV monitored the flight and communications from the conference room. The SECNAV refused to scramble fighters saying that the N Koreans would help because they wanted the US aid dollars. N Korea said the terrorists were counter revolutionary anarchists adventurers and would deny them entrance into air space. Solla wanted Renee to film their mock trial with H and M as attorneys and her as judge. The N Koreans launched mig's but the SECNAV still refused to put up fighters but finally admitted that Wolfe was in intelligence and knew all the N Koreans who had turned spy. Just as Solla was going to shoot Wolfe and Hoskins she found out Wolfe's intelligence connection. The SECNAV claimed that he had info from the CIA that the N Koreans wouldn't fire so C called W himself. W confidentially communicated that the CIA knew they would be shot down but didn't want to compromise their agents. C called the president himself. The mig's were coming at the plane so the pilot refused Solla and turned back. She shot him and the plan dove toward the ocean. H scrambled forward and pulled the plane out of the dive. M sprayed one man with the fire extinguisher and Wolfe knocked him out. H grabbed Solla's gun while M decked her. The third man shot Hoskins and Wolfe shot him down. H played "chicken" with two migs flying directly toward him. Clinton shown finally scrambling fighters and H evaded migs again as they were locking on with missiles. H told the fighters "Navy at controls" and when a mig locked and fired missiles the fighters warned to break left then dropped chaff. Hs engine flamed and had to be extinguished. The migs turned tail and ran when it was a fair fight. H landed the 747 with reminders from the tower. Renee got her film. M, in the co-pilots chair, said that the "next time she would take a boat."

People vs. Gunny - 102

Gunny (G) and his friend Manny were dropped off by a cab in front of a gay bar. A gay, Ed proxy bumped into Manny who ridiculed gays. Proxy insulted right back and Manny pressed him against the wall. Gunny broke it up and held Manny's arms so Proxy slugged into Manny and kicked him in the groin. Gunny was defending Manny slugging Proxy when Tiner (T) came out of the bar and took a swing at G who turned and decked him before recognizing him. Mac (M) was all excited about her new ring and tried it on her left hand where it got stuck. She hid her hand from Harm (H) who came in asking her to take some cases while he was in Iceland. When she kept the ring hidden he advised her to put "shampoo on her finger" and the ring would come off. Renee called from Valencia California where she was directing a Demented Dead Souls video. She pushed him into saying he missed her, then made a date saying he had stood her up twice and only got one more chance. Lt Aldridge was at JAG while his ship was in port. He commented on Tiner's black eye, Harm's bruised face and Bud's wired jaw. Detective Wanda Shilling, Baltimore PD, came after F for gay-bashing outside the pony express lounge. He told her what had happened and she seemed to believe him until he refused to give her Manny's identity. Proxy had a broken nose and cracked rib and had lied that G just beat him up "for no reason at all." G asked T to get Proxy to drop charges. He said "he's your boyfriend." T denied that he was so G asked if he "wanted to be outed" to which T flew off the handle. He said "you're the one who misunderstood." G talked to Manny who offered to talk with the cops but G refused because with only nine months to go it might effect his retirement benefits. Shilling came back with warrant for Gs arrest because T went to them and offered to be a witness against G. C intervened and took jurisdiction of the investigation. H and M investigated and G said while Manny was doubled over from the kick to his privates he tried to stop the attack on him. T said Ed was Gay and they were in the gay bar. M told H that going to gay bar doesn't mean your gay and H responded "like wearing an engagement ring on your right hand doesn't mean your engaged." They agreed it should go to a hearing and recommended Mattoni for defense and Aldridge for prosecution.

Baxter Stark, from the attorney generals office, came to Chegwidden (C) and in front of Owen Sebring claimed that the Navy was incapable of prosecuting hate crimes. Sebring noted that Stark was running for states attorney and before more was said, C dismissed Stark who retorted "we'll be watching you." Proxy blatantly lied on the stand and Aldridge bumbled around trying to bring in other issues. After H cross examined him, T realized that Proxy may be wrong and tried to get him to drop charges. Proxy refused and asked for his support holding him by the back of the neck. H asked M what she had against Renee and she responded "I'm just surprised you like that type. Then when M accused H of having problems with Brumby (Brum) he parroted back "I'm just surprised you like that type." M called it a "friendship ring" to Harriet (Ht). In Gs testimony he called proxy's attack on the fettered Manny "an act of a coward." G refused to give Sebring Manny's name so was charged with disobeying a lawful order. Sebring decided that the only evidence against G was the un-cooborated complaint by Proxy so it was dismissed. However, in the hallway, Stark had G re-arrested again for civil trial. Stark told Sebring and C that the trial was biased. How else could you explain it with such pitiful defense (Mattoni) and inept prosecution (Aldridge). Accused the entire military of bias. C, very restrained, told him that "we all know your only intent is to bolster your campaign. You're nothing but a hypocrite and opportunist and I'll be damned if I’m going to let a bottom feeder like you further your personal ambition trampling the integrity of this office."

Stark acted as the prosecuting attorney and C defended G himself. Despite Gs magnanimous act, Manny, a true bigot, G played his little games as well refusing to reveal the identification of Manny (a true bigot) called JAG at night and left a message designed to get rid of T. He claimed to M, who answered the phone, that he was Josh, Ts lover and wanted him to come home because he loved him. C gave T the benefit of the doubt and told M to advise him to keep his domestic life under control. Then, at long last, Tiner gave up his act and admitted to M that Proxy was his gay half-brother. M told C, so he called Tiner back on stand and asked him directly if he was gay. Tiner said "no, no one asked me (?!)" he just "wanted to see how it felt." He claimed that suddenly "everything took on a double meaning, some people bent over backward not to be offensive, others pulled away like I was contagious." C won Gs acquittal but Stark gloated "what defeat, they (the gays) see me as their protector. I just picked up a few thousand votes!" C gave G a letter of admonishment and forfeiture of half months pay for disobedience.

H was sent to Keflavik Iceland to a NATO conference and told Renee that he would be gone. Without confirming the date she just showed up at JAG then disbelieved M that H was snowed in in Iceland. She took Tiner to dinner instead. Ht was back to replace G during the trial and flounced around making Bs life miserable cause "it's so much fun making them pay."

Boomerang - Part 2 - 101

[Continuation of a confusing- on many levels- but somewhat key episode] Brumby (Brum) continued to bait Harm (H) with his insipid smirk, especially regarding Mac (M) and rubbing oil on her etc. H had to dress in a wig for court then right out of the box embarrassed Brum for his lack of providing even proof of death. The judge chastised him and gave custody of Lee to the defense on the desertion charge. Outside the court, Lee was attacked by, Barry Toohey, the friend of Dunsmore's who was keeping watch when Dunsmore went to attack Lee. H pulled Toohey off Lee then Lee hit Toohey. Brum pulled Toohey off then stared at H. They both said "let go" and did, then reared back to take a swing at each other. Seeing it, B jumped in the middle and was slugged from both directions breaking his jaw in two places. C flew to Australia in a rage to "keelhaul" H; but, B (going through M as interpreter for his wired-jaw mumble) let them both off the hook. M was the only one who understood him saying she had "learned the language" when her father's jaw was wired for 3 months. C didn't believe B, so made H and Brum go into a warehouse and duke it out until reaching "as much pain as they inflicted on B!" M invited H to dinner and tried to have a romantic conversation with him. H was very uneasy and she opinioned that "you're just this way with me, aren't you?" He said "yes, only with you." She responded "I suppose I should be flattered" and he said "you should be, Sarah." At Luna park they discovered that there couldn't have been a cleat to trip over so Lee and Jenny had lied. Back at court, both all beat up, H and Brum began again. C and M set together comparing their ratings over the speeches. Toohey continued to lie on the stand claiming that Lee "never owned a knife and was killed by that sepo bastard." H calmly proved that he was deliberately lying. Brum smugly presented documents of Lee's previous marriage and called Jenny to testify against Lee. H countered with documents of his own that Lee had married Jenny after being declared dead in Tennessee which should have prevented her testifying but the judge said "this wasn't Tennessee" and allowed it.

H had to have the judge keep Brum "a respectable distance" from the witness; but Brum was able to manipulate her reenactment of the stabbing to his advantage. She, however, surprised everyone by saying she "couldn't lie anymore and Lee had stabbed Dunsmore." Lee told H that he had put everything they owned into Jenny's name when he was arrested so H began tailing Jenny. They got video tape of her leaving her 2 times per week "art class" amorously with "Harold" which they presented in court. She finally recanted and said she lied because she wanted Harold and Harold wanted money. Lee was found not guilty then talked H into letting him have the night to go try to "save his marriage." That night M finally went to dinner with Brum who completely threw himself at her saying he would "make ANY sacrifice." He proposed while she was looking up at the Southern Cross; but, when she hesitated he insisted on her "wearing the ring on the other hand so when she decides she can change it." They both then saw the boat Uluru sailing by with Lee, Jenny and Harold all celebrating their deception. The next day they were all at the airport awaiting Lee's return, expecting just to return for his perfunctory separation. They arrested him for desertion and H said he wanted to go for the death penalty for doing it in a time of war. C mused that the death penalty might not happen but "life in prison is a slam dunk." They met Clayton Webb at the airport who thanked them for not blowing his cover. They had seen him several times, unacknowledged, while they had been there. Each time with a different girl and speaking a different language. Boarding the plane M embraced and kissed Brum. C advised H "you win some, you loose some." Then "don't look back." He did anyway.

Boomerang - Part 1 - 100

[A confusing but somewhat key episode] During the Vietnam war PO Kevin Lee of the USS Chicago and Ian Dunsmore of the Australian Navy had a fight over Dunsmore's old girlfriend, Jenny Brooker, when the Chicago docked in Sydney Australia. Jealous, Dunsmore, with his buddies, started a fight then continued it alone on an amusement park dock. He pulled a switchblade then was killed in the tussle when they fell on his knife. Lee, having been forced to marry a girl who was pregnant in Tennessee decided to switch identities with Dunsmore and married Jenny under the name Tom Kingsley. After living in Woolgoolga, in the bush, they eventually moved to Sydney and opened the Uluru restaurant. When their home was burgled a policeman recognized Jenny then eventually arrested "Dunsmore" aka Lee aka Kingsley. He wouldn't talk until JAG was called and Brumby (Brum) called Chegwidden (C) to request Harm (H) and Bud (B) come down to handle the case. Mac (M) was upset that Brum would "sink so low" because he had been trying to get her to Australia ever since he left. He offered plane tickets and sent her water temperature Emails daily. Then, knowing she wasn't requested, she was really upset- Harm said: "he's one smart dingo." When they arrived Brum talked to Bud but ignored H then offered to let H drive thinking he would make a fool of himself driving on the left side. H played into it and gave them a harrowing ride; but, then parallel parked the SUV with ease before announcing he had learned to drive in the Bahamas (on the left side) as a kid. H and Brum stare, smirk, snipe, snarl and malign each other the whole episode. After Brum had snarled accusations at Lee, hell-bent to convict him for murder, and H had calmly tried to find the truth, B told them there were "real good at playing good-cop/bad-cop." In unison they responded "who's playing!"

Washington DC was buried in a blizzard and M caught cold. H called to convince C to extradite Lee for trial but was turned down. Brum smugly sniped that only H had ever been uncertain who had jurisdiction and H told him that "one day they would strip blouses." Brum retorted "the question has only been when!" H believed that civilian courts would handle it but then found that Brum had gotten appointed prosecutor and was upset. C apparently left it up to Brum's Australian CO to inform him that H had been appointed defense counsel(?!) M volunteered and finagled a trip to Australia to accompany the "real" Dunsmore's body back. C quipped to Gunny that he wished he could be there to see the story (H, M and Brum) unfold. Immediately upon Ms arrival Brum became "on-the-make" and convinced her to go to the beach with him. He whined at her about wearing an "Australian bikini" (hat and bottoms) over her objections just to tie her straps behind her. [it wasn't shown if he complied or not] B and H saw them sitting together believing she was topless. B thought he was talking to gunny about the topless beaches but Harriet was on the phone and spent the rest of the episode in a snit. Brum took H and B to lunch unknowingly at the Uluru restaurant where Jenny overheard them talking and ran away. Talking with Lee, B said that desertion charges were usually dropped and the Irony was that his wife Jenny's testimony would probably be believed if it was against him but wouldn't be now that he was married to her. H voiced his disrespect of Lee saying that "my father died doing his duty and you lived running from yours." Lee asked "how can I trust that you won't let them hang me?" and H responded "because, like my father, I do my duty." When H finally got to talk to Jenny she "parroted" her description of events and told them "you don't want to know what I really remember, because it would hang him." (Continued to next episode)

Cabin Pressure - 99

Chegwidden (C) assigned Harm (H) and Mac (M) to investigate the murder of PO Chinick aboard the USS Suribache while he flew to the USS Manassas for a retirement party of, Vice Admiral Richard Kern, the last other member of his SEAL team on active duty. PO De Mara (DM)was seen leaving the machinery room, where Chinick was found with a rope around his neck; and, was put in the brig where H was interrogating him with Chief Master at Arms Sturdevant. The ship hit an uncharted reef and grounded blocking the brig hatch and trapping them all below. DM freaked out and became very angry and loud. Above, M called to the brig and told H that Chinick was a "one man black market for booze, drugs, and porn" but the captain had become suspicious and NCIS was going to bust him when they docked. Bud (B), who was dog-sitting Jingo, found that DM had a captains mast on his last ship for having a "habit of falling asleep on watch." H told M that "to call DM unstable would be an insult to unstable people." The brig began leaking and DM attacked Sturdevant when he tripped while trying to remove him from the cell in handcuffs. DM had the gun and forced H to continue to talk about the murder. H deduced that DM was having withdrawals from drugs. He admitted Chinick was his supplier of seed, so he could stay awake; but continued to raise prices, claiming that he had "increased overhead." They argued then, later, he got a note from Chinick to meet him in the mechanical room. The note was still in the sweatband of his cap in his locker and H said that he could lift some fingerprints from it because someone may be trying to frame him.

C was worried about "slowing down" in his abilities and Kern reminisced that they had always said "if they couldn't be out front they'd rather be out of sight." The Manassas (with C) was sent to assist and during the tow the ship shifted trapping DM under a heavy steel cage. Water rose & boat shifted trapping DM under metal cage. The phone went dead and chlorine gas began leaking. C told M that "H is too pig headed to leave this world, he'll find a way out." M asked "even if they offer him wings, sir?" Lt Jenarette finally opened the hatch and Sturtevant came out but told everyone that H and DM were dead. They resealed the hatch and left them there. The Capt. wouldn't let Jenarette go back with breathing equipment. C and M argued with him but he didn't give in. C didn't believe Sturtevant's story so, outranking the captain, C went to rescue H himself with Jenarette. Just as the water was passing DMs mouth, the ship shifted and released him. He asked H "how did you do that?" and H answered "faith." When they got to the locked hatch H asked, rhetorically, "how are we going to get out?" DM answered, "faith, sir?" just as C opened it and brilliant light streamed down on them.

H appeared in Sturtevant's quarters dripping wet and asked him if he had a towel. H and C told the captain that Sturdevant was "on the take" with Chinick and, when he found Chinick was going to be arrested, killed him so he wouldn't talk. He framed DM and when DM said he had a note in his locker that proved his innocence Sturtevant decided to kill them too. The captain asked "how did you know they were alive." C responded "we didn't" and M said they just had "experience with H." The captain asked H if he was "tenacious" and C broke in "have you ever tried to get gum off your shoe?"

Life or Death - 98

[A somewhat dark episode. The actor playing Caleb Farmer will, in later episodes, play Tom, Mattie's father] Corporal Caleb Farmer received the death sentence for pre-meditatedly shooting a marine squad doing calisthenics, killing 3 and wounding three. Mac (M) voiced personal agreement with capital punishment and Chegwidden (C) assigned her the defense. Brumby (Brum) got the prosecution and was still "on the make" for M. H was trying to avoid Renee Peterson who was trying to snare him into "doing looping" for her recruiting commercial. Gunny (G) was a friend of Sgt Kryler, now a quadriplegic, and told M he hoped she lost her appeal. Farmer told M he had no excuses but said the squad had made his life hell, he'd asked for help but was turned down, was driven to drink and lost his mind. M told Bud (B) farmer was like a broken down one eyed cat, a bird killer- you loathed him but felt sorry for him at the same time. She found that Farmers previous attorney, then commander AJ Chegwidden, had not given adequate defense. Discouraged, M asked H to dinner but he told her he couldn't; so, Brum asked her. They saw Renee come in and M called her "Cecilia B DeMille" the "bitch director from hell." She cattily denigrated anyone who would date with her as a "whipped momma's boy who loves being dominated." Brum let her continue as he saw that it was H who walked in. She continued, "or a pot bellied sugar daddy financing her movie." When she said "or a mindless toy boy," Brum said "you're getting close." M looked then seemed a bit pissed at Brum. Renee had H overdub saying "pleasure" over the "privilege to serve" that he had originally said.

Farmer was given a new sentencing trial. Brum was recalled back to Australia, to help with peacekeeping in East Timor, and H was given the prosecution job. M tried to get him to agree to life in prison but he said they should let the jury decide. She asked to be taken off the case but C faced her down saying that she "wasn't at JAG to protect his (Cs) reputation." M showed that Farmer had 0.14% blood ETOH, that his platoon wanted him out of the service and harassed him, that he had sought help but the sociologist who saw him told him to "pretend he was a duck and let it roll off him," refusing to refer to a psychiatrist. Later, after arrest, a psychiatrist diagnosed a "marked personality disorder with paranoid tendencies." Farmer attempted suicide during the trial and M tried to get him to keep fighting. He couldn't give M even one witness for his defense. He asked M to be there for his execution and she agreed. Farmer asked to speak to the jury and promised that he would spend rest of life seeking redemption and hoping that "a man is more than just the worst thing he's ever done." C gave advice for closing arguments: to M- don't look at the widow, and to H- don't look at the defendant. Brum kept fishing for M to tell him she wanted him to come back to her, then kissed her. He told her that he kept after her because she didn't tell him to stop. The jury upheld the death sentence and Farmer called out for M to "remember her promise to him."

At Brums farewell party in McMurray's bar, Brum told H that he thought "he'd see him again." Singer offered H a drink and H told her to call him Harm, out of uniform. M kissed Brum goodbye and as he walked out B started the group singing "waltzing mathilda." [The closing scene was later used again as a memorial tribute to Trevor Goddard after his death.]

Into the Breech - 97

[Renee Peterson was introduced to produce a recruiting commercial] Renee Peterson was hired to produce a recruiting commercial and was frustrated by being stuck with the "legal" aspect instead of something interesting. She ran around arrogantly abusing everyone at JAG, even Singer (S). Chegwidden (C) tried to give Harm (H) acting advice from his experience on the film "field of gold." He assigned H and Mac (M) to assist in a mock trial by cadets at Iron Force Naval academy where his friend Cmd Haglan worked. They were trying gunners mate Gregory Riordan, posthumously, for 29 counts of 1st degree murder when he blew up a gun turret to get even with his shipmates for hazing him. Original investigation believed he had filled his boda bag with accelerant and placed it in the turret. Billy played the part of Riordan and Luisa (and M) his defense council. Steve (and H) were prosecution. They found a real witness that would testify so Haglan said "lets have the trial that the Navy never had." Terence Connor testified that he had filled Riordan's boda bag with grease and saw him throw it overboard. H and M asked C to re-open the case. C said no and to just finish the case and get back to work. The kids said no, however, cause they didn't work for C. Steve, who was trying to hit on Louisa, chastised her for hanging out with "losers" like Billy. While chatting, H told M that he "missed out on being a kid, trying to be the man of the house, shoulda gone to a disco." M said "I know what you mean, I've seen you dance." M counseled Louisa to be "better than the men but don’t rub their noses in it. Think like a woman but act like a man."

Shepard Carmine testified that he saw a man come out of the turret with a bloody nose 15 minutes before the explosion. He sort of turned out to be a nut but Bud (B) checked sick bay records and found PO Michael Saunders had lied about how he got his bloody nose. Gunny (G) helped B find Saunders through his ex-wife, Kathy. H went to the tavern Saunders worked at and got him to admit he had thrown Riordan a blanket party and held him upside down by the ankles over the rail above the screw until he cried. Happy about the findings, Louisa hugged Billy and Steve beat up Billy in the restroom. Louisa advised Billy to report it and he declined saying he'd beat him in court. Billy remembered a letter written to Riordan by Kathy "with love," so M and H went to talk to Saunders "ex" again. This time she admitted that the two had been fighting over her and she had chosen Riordan. When he had died she was four months pregnant with her son, now named Greg Riordan after his father. H went back to Saunders and shamed him into testifying to prevent Greg from being embarrassed when he found out. C attended the final day of trial to correct any possible miscarriages. Saunders said he had gone into Riordan's turret and picket a fight over Kathy. While Riordan's back was turned he saw someone load an extra bag of propellant but didn't say anything about it. Riordan was acquitted in the mock trial and C said he would take care of the real case.

C had tried to help Renee with her commercial and, when she maligned most of the navy who were "were not exciting," gave a masterfully powerful speech about being "trained in the art of war, but the profession of peace." Paused and told him that he had "great presence, but it was too hokey and would never sell." She called B the Pillsbury Dough Boy then said that H almost works "if only he'd done something beside being a lawyer." When the case was over, C told H to report to the Washington Monument during "magic hour" to help Renee.